Taiwan's Far EasTone has lined up a 4G spectrum swap deal with Hon Hai affiliate Ambit Microsystems, and is open to more collaboration with rival operators.
The company has revealed it will take an open stance towards co-operating with other operations, the China Post reported.
Far EasTone has arranged to swap a 700-MHz block of 4G spectrum with Ambit Microsystems, in order to give both companies access to adjacent blocks of spectrum.
Far EasTone has proposed a partnership involving the joint development and sharing of LTE infrastructure.
As part of the deal, Far EasTone has offered to purchase a 5 MHz block of spectrum from Ambit. With Ambit acquiring a stake in Asia-Pacific Telecom http://www.telecomasia.net/content/hon-hais-ambit-buy-apt with an eye to a full merger, it will be left with a combined 30 MHz of 700 MHz and 900 MHz spectrum. Regulator NCC stipulates a limit of 25 MHz.
Selling a 5 MHz block to Far EasTone will allow Ambit to conform with the spectrum cap.
Far EasTone will reportedly soon formally approach Hon Hai and Ambit with a strategic partnership proposal, and has been negotiating with Taiwan Star Cellular on another proposed joint project involving the 1800-MHz band, the report states.